Differential gearing.



A. J. PATCH..

DIFFERENTIAL GBARING.

APPLICATION FILED .TAN.22,1914. Lm. Patented @11.5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SEEET 1.

A. J. PATCH.

DIFFERENTIAL GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.22, 1914.

Lmm., f Patented .121115,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

il. I

ll I

. l MM, @0f/ZM (5% WMMMW onirica ALLEN J. PATCH, 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

DIFFERENTIAL GE'ARING.

A Specication of Letters APatent.

v Patented dan.. 5, 1915..

.Application filed January 22, 1914. Serial No. 813,640.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, 'ALLEN J. PATCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin,have invented new and useful Improvements in Differential Gearing, ofwhich the following is a specification. f

It is the object of the present invention to provide a differentialgearing suited for use in a great variety of ways for the transmissionand distribution of power, the structure as a whole comprising resilientconnection through which the power is transmitted, this connectionserving to cushion t-he action of the gearing and to relieve themechanism from shock and sudden strain.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such yieldingrelation between certain of the power transmitting members or gears thatany mechanical inequality in angular position or relative action, suchas might result from continued wear, heavy service, or inaccurateworkmanship will be compensated for through slight shifting of oneelement with respect to the other, thereby equalizing the load on all ofthe corresponding parts, irrespective of their exact location withrespect to one an other.

A further object is to provide a structure which can be taken aparteasily for repair and which is relatively free from bolts, rivets andfastening might become loosened or displaced in service. The structureas a whole locks together into a complete mechanism but in such .a wayas to permit of easy dismantling When desired.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is an end elevation of the gearing with one of the large sidegears removed to expose the three bevel pinions, with which it meshes.Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and shows the mounting ofone of the three driving springs. Fig. 3 is a transverse section throughthe gearing of Fig. 1 on the line 3 3. Fig. 4 illustrates the relativeposition of the several parts when the gearing is being put together ortaken apart and before the driving and retaining springs have beeninserted, and Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through the centralportion of the e gearing showing the coperative action of devices, whichthe three retaining springs when the parts are 1n their workingrelation.

In the embodiment here illustrated, the

gearing' as a whole comprises an outer ring 10 which may be the drivingmember, having gear teethon its periphery and having around its inneredge a Harige 11 from which project inward three lugs or webs 12, eachhaving a. circumferential length somewhat less than one-sixth of thetotal inner circumference of the ring. These lugs are the agenciesthrough which power is delivered from the ring, through the springs andto the bevel pinions.

Three springs 13 are disposed, as shown in Fig. 5, with their endsbearing directly against adjacent ends of lugs 12 and it is throughthese springs that the power is transmitted from the lugs to memberssupporting bevel pinions. Each spring 13 is seated in a pocket andextends across one of the gaps, which separate the. three sectoralelements 14, 15 and 16, which make up the central or hub portion ofthegearing. Each sectoral element has projecting flanges 17 forming apocket for the reception ofk a spring 13 and in addition, these sectoralelements are provided respectively with lugsor webs 18, 19 and 20,grouped in pairs, arranged on both sides of the lugs 12 and having theirends shaped to receive and press against the end of the adjacent coiledspring 13. Vhen the sectoral elements are driven, as hereinafterdisclosed, they shift with respect to the outer ring 10, slipping theirwebs or lugs 1S, 19 and 20 with respect to the lugs 12 of the ring andso compressing springs 13 and receiving a driving impulse through thesesprings from the outer rin ralghe means used for delivering power fromthe sectoral elements 14, 15 and 16 which make up the hub portion ofthegear1ng preferably comprise a plurality of bevel pinions 21, uniformlydistributed, one in the middle of each sector and each mounted in usualmanner to turn freely on its own axis, whether or not it is receiving adriving impulse from its supporting sector. tach of the sectors 14, 15and 16 is spaced apart from its adjacent sectors by gaps 22, so thatthere may be some slight angulaishifting of the bevel pinions 21 withrespect to one yanother and such shifting, when it occurs, willdistribute the load through the each pinion and each here springsequally (onsaid three pinions, so that of the springs 18, will be doingits proportionate share of the work. This automatic equalization in theload on the three pinions, irrespective of slight irregularities in sizeor in wear or in position,

is an important feature of my invention as disclosed, and. this featurein conjunction with the resilient connection between these` beveledpinion supports 21 and the outer ring 10,- give to the structure as awhole, a'reliability and smoothness 0faction, highly desirable in thisclass of gearmg.

The bevel pinions 21 drive two bevel gears 23 and 24 (FiglS) arrangedone on either side of the .bevel pinions andboth meshing with allvthe'pinions and being rotated by those pinions inusual manner. Thesebevel gears 23 and 24 are preferably mounted to turn'on the hub flanges25 of the sectoral elements 14, 15 and 16 and even lthough these hubflanges are discontinuous, because of the gaps 22,- they affordanadequate seat on which these gears may rotate.

At the side of each bevel gear 23 and 24 -is a toothed pinion 25, whichmaybe cast integral with the`v bevel gear, but which for conveniencelvmay be made 'separate therefrom but llocked in driving relation there--with by a tongue and slot'26, as shown in Fig. 3. e y As a means forholding the bevel gears and their cooperating pinions 25 in drivingrelation to thethree bevel kpinions' 21` and to take the end thrust ofthe'bevel gears,

' i. shaft-,takes I.the

the supporting shaft is provided with an .annular groove 27 in which isseated a vsplit ring 28, over which is slipped a retaining band or ring4the split ring and holds its two halves in place;A The split' ringcooperating with the 'end thrust of its yadjacent gearing and the band29 keeps the split ring inposition. Thel shaft-bearings 30 are easily4removable from the shaft and then by slipping ring 29' lengthwiseoftheshaft, the

v split ring 28.l can ybe taken out and the adjacent. gear 25 then bereleased 'and can-be slipped off over the. end :of the shaft. Todismantle the oth- ,60 upon it is onlyI necessary to pry the'springs 13u p out of their pockets o ver the retaining flanges 17 and then theouter` ring 10 can beswung around until its lugs 12 come out frombetween the cooperating lugs or flanges-l on kthe sectoral members.

This brings the parts into the relative pdstions illustrated in Fig.sidewise awaylfrom the sectors, which there- -from bevel gear 23 Itocomplete the disa mantlingt The entire structure is put together Withoutany bolts or studs as retaining membe equalized immediately,

29 which completely encirclesandv its bevel gear 24 will 4. The ring 10can then be movedV are'.releas`ed'and can be pulled away' yrelativemovement bers and the three largev springs used for distributing thepower from the segments to the tooth ring, serve as retaining meinbersin addition to their functions of equalizing the load on the threepinions and of protectinglthe entire gearing from shock when the loadvaries. '.No onepinion can take more than its share of the load, for anytendency toward unequal distribution will by a corresponding shift inthe spring controlled sectors, whereon those gears are mounted.

l The differential gearing forming the subject of the present invention,may be used in tractor engines, in automobiles, in heavy powertransmission and in the mechanical arts generally and can be used inplace of differential gearing heretofore employed, wherein theadvantages above set forth and inherent in applicants structure, havenot heretofore been found;

In therpartieular embodiment here disclosed, various 'parts may bealtered or replaced and the size and proportion and details of theseveral parts may be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: l

l1. In a differential gearing, the combination of a pair of bevel gears,a plurality of bevel pinions therebetween, and supporting means for saidpinions permitting variation in relative angular position thereof. '-2.In a differential gearing, the ycombination of a pair of bevel gears, aplurality of bevel pinions therebetween, supporting means for saidpinions permitting variation-in relative angular position thereof, adriving member and resilient driving'conneetions between said drivingmember and each of the members supporting said pinions. v

3. In a differential gearing, the combination of a driving member, aplurality of pinions, supporting means for'said inions permittingvariation in relative-angu ar position thereof, springs operativelyconnecting eachv pinion support with said driving member, and a pair ofgears meshing with said pinions. p

4. In a differential gearing, the combination of a pair of bevel gears,a plurality of bevel'A pinions therebetween, supporting means yfor saidpinions permitting relative movement thereof, a ytoothed memberencircling said pinions, and resilient driving conneetions between saidtoothed member and the supporting means of said pinions. v

5. In a differential gearing, the combination of af toothed ring, aplurality of beveled pinions encircled by said ring, supporting meansfor said pinions permitting thereof, springs operatively connecting eachpinion support with said toothed ring, and a pair of bevel gears `foreach of said maar@ meshing with said pinions and rotating their supportsin proportion to dii'erences in speed between the bevel gears.

6. In a differential gearing the combina tion ofa toothed ring memberhaving lugs, a yplurality of coiled springs bearing against said lugs totransmit power from said toothed ring, sectoral members positionedwithin said ring a bevel each sectoral member, each of said sectoralmembers being capable of movement with respect to the other sectoralmembers and having driving engagement with one -oi said springs, and apair of bevel gears embracing said bevel pinions for differentialrotation thereby.

7. In a differential gearing, the combination of a pair of spur gears, abevel gear spur gears and turning therewith, sectoral members positionedbetween said beveled gears and movable relative to one another, a bevelpinion on each sectoral member positioned between said bevel gears andmeshing therewith, a ring encircling said sectoral members and havinglugs serving as spring seats, and a plurality of springs on said seatsand operatively engagmg said sectoral members to yieldingly transmitpower between the ring and the beveled pinions.

8. In a differential gearing, the combination of a member havinginwardly projecting lugs serviceable as seats for springs, a pluralityof sectoral members encircled by pinion carried by said ring, a bevelpinion said sectoral members, a plurality of springs engaging the seatsof said ring and operatively engaging said sectoral members, the latterbeing shaped to form pockets in which said springs are seated, and bevelgears meshing with each of said pinions.

9. In a differential gearing, the combination of a shaft having annulargrooves, split rings seated in said grooves, encircling bands for eachof said rings, pinions held. against longitudinal movement by said splitrings, bevel gears mounted to turn with said pinions,'sectoral membershaving segmental hubs whereon said bevel gears may rotate, a bevelpinion mounted to turn in carried by each of each sectoral member, saidpinions having movement relative to one another, coiled springs seatedin said sectoral members and a ring member having inwardly projectinglugs for engagement with said springs whereby power may be transmittedthrough" the sprin s from the ring member and whereby t e load on anyone pinion may .be equalized by movement of that pinion wlth respect toits companion pinions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specificationin the presence of two witnesses.

ALLEN J. lPATCI-I.

